Nebraska senators held a hearing on a new medical cannabis legalization bill last Thursday.
The Judiciary Committee of the unicameral legislature reviewed the bill by Democratic Senator Anna Wishart, who has fought for several years to pass this reform, both through legislation and through election campaigns led by activists.
Members of the same committee also met later that afternoon to discuss separate proposals to legalize adult cannabis.
“My goal is that no family will have to flee our state to access medical cannabis for themselves or a loved one,” Ms. Wishart said in her opening remarks for the medical cannabis hearing.
“This bill is not going to fail because of a lack of compromise or thought from all of the senators and stakeholders who have worked on this,” she said. “If this bill fails, it will fail as it has in the past because of political pressure from a few people in our state who wield their power to eliminate the will of the people. »
Wishart pointed out that the legislation has already been revised since the last session to address some concerns, including eliminating provisions allowing smoking or vaping cannabis. She said she was “ready to restrict this bill further as long as it remains patient-centred”.
After lawmakers heard testimony from people who implored lawmakers to consider their stories and those of their children with serious illnesses who could benefit from cannabis, Republican State Attorney General Mike Hilgers testified in opposition to the bill.
He challenged the constitutionality of legalizing medical cannabis in conflict with federal prohibition and said there was a “federal dereliction of duty” with respect to the Justice Department’s hands-off approach to towards state cannabis programs in recent years.
Notably, when asked what his office would do if Nebraska legalized medical cannabis, he said there would be a “duty to enforce constitutional laws” — indicating that law enforcement could seek to interfere with implementation and continue to criminalize people who use cannabis regardless of the policy change, or perhaps seek to block the law from coming into effect.
A Nebraska State Patrol representative also expressed opposition to the legislation, testifying that the reform would support the illicit market and increase drunk driving incidents. He also said it would create problems for gun owners, although a lawmaker pointed out to him that a federal court had recently ruled a ban on cannabis users owning firearms unconstitutional. fire.
Legislation that has been submitted to the commission provides for a system of medical cannabis dispensaries where people could purchase and possess up to two and a half ounces (70 grams) of cannabis for medical purposes if they suffer from any of the 16 eligible illnesses including cancer, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS and chronic pain.
